Force Of Impact
by metroanime
Summary: a bet story, Edema's entry


NOTE: originally the effects were to be different individuals, but i'm told that's already been done. Still, i never read it, so am having to write this so i can read it... 

------------------------- 

FORCE OF IMPACT 

Edema, dokkalfar and pool shark, chuckled earthily and demonstrated again. A stone went out and skipped four times, making a right angle at each impact. 

"Damn," commented Hephaestus, glad that he'd never played pool with this woman. 

"So what's the change," Grey asked, anxious to concentrate on something besides the latest development. 

There were some snickerings. Everyone knew the incubus had an interview later about possible promotion to guardian daemon (least class). They also knew that the little demon had made a few enemies in Asgard. Ares, for example, was still looking to find some inobvious way of stomping him. Fortunately for the reluctant incubus, subtle was not one of Ares' strengths. 

Toltiir, in the background as was his favored mode of operation, also snickered. The whole Bet concept had originally started as an attempt to get the various deities of this major branch Heaven off their butts and interested in something besides the usual "office politics." The same with his transformation of an accountant/troubleshooter into something contrary to his base nature. Now both efforts were bearing fruit and the elfin figure (having abandoned the black cat guise to avoid confusion with other felines) couldn't be more pleased. 

A lawyer-imp cleared his throat and spoke rapidly in the manner of a disclaimer at the end of a car commercial. "Ranma 1/2 trademarked by Viz & Rumiko Takahashi. Star Trek, Star Wars, Ucchu Senkan Yamato, My Youth In Arcadia, Chronicles of the Cheysuli, Dragonriders of Pern, etc. are all tm or (c) their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended. Do not pass Go, he suffers from road rage. Offer not available in all areas. Certain rules, exceptions, and exclusions may apply, see dealer for details." 

"Who let a lawyer in here?" *BANG* 

"Nice shot. Looks like he'll end up in Olympus." 

Grey moaned. Something else Ares would blame him for. 

Edema pointed out that the skips were all concentrated in the same area, and each had a similar effect. Four different individuals effected. "So things go a little differently with the development of four individuals, with the first major break in continuity right here." 

--------------------------- 

"Oh so this panda just decided to visit! Happens *all* the time!" 

The panda set the short redhead in front of the family. Soun leaned forward. "You wouldn't be..." 

"Would you believe Luke Skywalker?" 

The panda slapped the back of the youth's head. 

"All right! All right! I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this." 

Kasumi blinked. "I feel a strange disturbance in the Force." 

Ranma looked up and grinned. Some stupid engagement was still NOT something he wanted, but if the girl in question was a fellow fan... Maybe she had one of the other movies! 

Kasumi smiled back. So this visitor (while strange) was a fellow fan. How nice! Too young for her, by far. Friends, though, that might work. 

Akane sniffed. An otaku. Figures, she'd been hoping for someone to fight. 

------------------- 

"So I got curious, snuck away from Pop one night, and went and saw it." Ranma grinned at the older girl. Surely they wouldn't try to force a marriage with three years difference in ages. On the other hand, this girl had videotapes of the other two movies! At last! 

"I took Akane one day after she got into a fight with the girls at school. She didn't find it very interesting, but as for myself..." Kasumi shrugged. She hadn't gotten many dates once word about her hobbies got out. That a *girl* was interested in Jedi Knights and had gotten into Star Trek and was reading foreign books like "Dragonriders Of Pern" had meant that she was just too strange for the vast crowds of boys. Silly Doctor Tofu thought that Star Trek was some Malaysian dish. At last, she had someone she could talk to about all this wonderful stuff! And cosplay. Definitely could hit the manga conventions now that she could go *with* someone. How nice. 

-----------Mimir's Well---------- 

"So Kasumi ends up engaged to Ranma," Susano snickered. 

"Kasumi and Ranma are two of those affected," Edema frowned. She'd meant to get Akane but she'd been bored during Star Wars. Kasumi had found the film fascinating and strangely reminiscent of Ucchu Senkan Yamato both for the space combat and elements of bushido. Oh well, stuff happens. 

"Who are the other two?" 

-------------------------------------- 

"Ranma is here?" Shampoo asked, being shown into the Tendo home after following a certain panda. "Shampoo looking for... " 

"Oh my," Kasumi noted the way their visitor had stopped in mid sentence and was staring at their table. At a book on the table. "Oh dear, did I leave that out? I was just reading that while my sister and my fian-- er Ranma were doing some ice skating fight." 

"Is real?" Shampoo breathed. "Is for real? Is Ranma's?" 

"Well, he's going to read it after me." Kasumi paused. "Are you into this sort of thing? Would you like to read this after Ranma?" 

Shampoo looked into the older girl's eyes, tears ready to form in her eyes. "You no kid? Great grandma no want Shampoo to read this stuff. Shampoo sneaking since hunting party made side trip and watched Star Wars movie. Have very few chances to watch or read." 

"Oh, well, I've got the other two movies if you want to watch..." Kasumi began. 

Shampoo burst into tears. "Shampoo so happy she come to Japan!" 

----------------------------------------- 

Kasumi blinked and took her usual position behind Ranma. 

"Shampoo have enough of stupid spatula girl. We go to cosplay later, no have time to fight." She'd cancelled a trip back to China for this. 

"But I thought Ucchan was a guy..." Ranma repeated, still stunned from the revelation. 

"Yeah, I know. You made that rather obvious in the PE storage room." Ukyou turned her gaze to Shampoo. "But I'll have you know that... Cosplay?!" 

"Is manga convention. Naoko Takeuchi sign autographs!" Shampoo pulled a Sailor Moon artbook out of nowhere. 

"There's talk about Miyazaki making an appearance!" Kasumi held up her little chibi-Totoro doll that Ranma had won for her at the fair. 

Ukyou glowered. "You haven't heard the last of this by a long shot. Errr. Ranchan?" 

"Yeah? Ukyou?" Ranma was still trying to fit the childhood buddy = another fiancee together. 

"Mind if I come? If Takeuchi is gonna be there..." 

Ranma frowned. He didn't care for Sailor Moon. Just the moon cats ensured he wouldn't care for the series. AND Kasumi kept trying to get him to wear a fuku! Even if it was a normal fuku from Magic Knights Rayearth, it was way too embarassing. 

--------Mimir's Well--------------- 

"So, Kasumi, Ranma, Ukyou, and Shampoo..." 

"Have their points of friction but mainly get along. Kasumi's very much into cosplay and they tend to go in groups." 

"So how does this end up?" Grey stretched and prepared to go. He had to face the interview soon and see what kind of challenge he'd be given for the status upgrade. 

---------------------------------------- 

The bearded man watched as he was surrounded by youths. 

"Hey man, we hold this guy hostage, we is on the gravy train for life." 

"Lucky for us that jerk in the bandana drew off all the Security guards," remarked a second tough. "Now, if you don't mind..." 

Shampoo landed, her knee having interrupted the boy's speech by impacting against the base of his skull. That she was wearing an Urd costume was not especially evident to any of these people. 

A snap of the fingers brought everyone's attention to three other young people. 

"" 

"Speak English, Ranma, it's only polite," Kasumi chided in her Belldandy costume. 

"Put the guns and knives away, jerks," Ukyou warned in her Skuld costume. The bearded man watched as three of the new arrivals moved into the pack of other youths, moving fluidly and with undeniable power and precision. 

"You okay?" Kasumi asked the man after the fighting was over. It hadn't taken long, especially when the gunwielders had tried to point their weapons. That had removed any constraint the martial artists might have otherwise operated under. 

The bearded man blinked. He HAD been planning on going back to the beginning and restarting with Episode 1. After watching these kids move... Hmmm. Young Jedis. Next Generation kinda thing. Hmmm. "Hey, while we wait for the police, can I talk to you? I've got a few ideas." 

"Shampoo want to go Auditorium Three. George Lucas supposed to be there, give plans for next movie!" 

"Uhm, actually. I'm right here," confessed the film maker. 

--------Mimir's Well------------------ 

There was an odd blink that traveled the length of the audience. 

"Episode VII: Menaces From The Past?!" 

"Shampoo as the captain of the Princess' Personal Guard? Kasumi as a princess of a kingdom of psychics? Ranma as a brash young starfighter pilot? Ukyou as the newest captain of the Milennium Falcon? She's Han and Leia's kid, huh?" 

"Pass the popcorn, will ya?" 

"Kasumi's not a klutz!" 

"Comic relief. Powerful psychic abilities. Not much control." 

"Could be worse." 

A few males winced as Kasumi accidently dropped her staff from her position on the fleeing jetbike. Sure enough, the pursuing Darth Claw caught it right between his legs. At roughly 90kph. 

"Why's Shampoo planning on going alone against hundreds of attacking synthetic warriors without any weapons?" 

"Oooh. Lightsaber." 

"Ukyou the Jedi? Hmmm, why not? Least it beats the spatula." 

"Shampoo's got a BFG? Where did she hide that?" 

"You don't wanna know." 

After the credits rolled, there were a few curious glances at the drow. 

"Edema, if you could do that, why didn't you participate in the Bet?" 

Edema looked up from where she was apparently examining her nails. "Why, sugar, gamblin' would be unladylike." 

Edema smiled at the collective facefault. 


End file.
